Lexical Summary qur: web, webs Original Word: קוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance web From quwr; (only plural) trenches, i.e. A web (as if so formed) -- web. see HEBREW quwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition thread, film NASB Translation web (1), webs (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [קוּר] noun masculineIsaiah 59:6 thread, film; — plural construct קוּרֵי עַכָּבִישׁ Isaiah 59:5 they weave spider-threads, figurative of machinations of wicked, so suffix קוּרֵיהֶם Isaiah 59:6. קוֺרֵא see קרא. קוֺרָה see קרה Topical Lexicon Overview of the Image קוּר portrays the deliberate act of spinning or weaving a spider’s web. Scripture employs the picture to expose the calculated craftiness of sinners who fabricate deceptive structures that appear intricate and secure yet cannot bear moral weight. Occurrences in Isaiah 59 Isaiah 59:5–6 uses the verb twice in rapid succession. Israel’s leaders “weave the spider’s web” (Isaiah 59:5), and the prophet instantly unmasks the emptiness of their manufacture: “Their webs will not become clothing, nor will they cover themselves with their works” (Isaiah 59:6). The parallel lines strengthen the indictment: the same meticulous energy that could have been invested in righteousness is instead poured into schemes that leave the people spiritually naked. Historical Background Isaiah 59 addresses the post-exilic community grappling with unfulfilled expectations of restoration. Social injustice, bribery, and bloodshed contradicted the covenant ideals that were supposed to mark a redeemed nation. The prophet’s spider-web imagery would have resonated in an agrarian society where fragile webs were a familiar sight on early-morning fields—delicate marvels that the slightest breeze dissolved. Moral and Spiritual Implications 1. Deliberate Planning of Evil: קוּר stresses intentionality; sin here is not accidental but methodically spun. Theological Connections • Human Works versus Divine Garments – From Genesis 3:7 to Revelation 19:8, Scripture contrasts self-made coverings with the garments God graciously gives. קוּר highlights the futility of self-righteous weaving. Practical Ministry Insights • Diagnostic Tool – Preachers and counselors can use קוּר imagery to uncover hidden patterns of manipulation in personal and societal structures. Comparative Imagery • Spider Web versus Rock – Psalm 18:2 extols the LORD as “my rock,” a study in contrast to the flimsiness of human schemes. Christological Foreshadowing The cross unmasks every web. Humanity’s most intricate system of self-justification—religious, political, and legal—converged at Golgotha, yet “it was the LORD’s will to crush Him” (Isaiah 53:10). Resurrection shredded the web, clothing believers with “robes made white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Personal Reflection and Application Where do I rely on cleverly spun words, image-craft, or strategic alliances to secure my identity? Isaiah’s spider reminds me to repent of flimsy threads and rest in the seamless robe of Christ’s righteousness. Forms and Transliterations וְקוּרֵ֥י וקורי קֽוּרֵיהֶם֙ קוריהם kureiHem qū·rê·hem qūrêhem vekuRei wə·qū·rê wəqūrêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 59:5 HEB: צִפְעוֹנִי֙ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ וְקוּרֵ֥י עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ יֶאֱרֹ֑גוּ NAS: the spider's web; He who eats KJV: the spider's web: he that eateth INT: adders' hatch web the spider's and weave Isaiah 59:6 2 Occurrences |